A Systematic Study of Molecular Electronics

"A Systematic Study of Molecular Electronics:
From Molecules to Electronic Switching Devices to Large Scale Nanowire Crossbar Circuits"Dr. Yi Luo
(California Institute of Technology)The field of molecular electronics, where molecules are used as active components in electronic circuits, provides promising approaches for building ultra-small, energy efficient, and very fast devices for memory and logic applications. In recent years, a substantial amount of interest has been drawn to this attractive and extremely interdisciplinary field.In this talk, I will present a comprehensive study of a molecular electronic system, including design, fabrication, and characterization of chemical materials, switching devices, and multifunctional circuits. A focal point of this research has been to integrate a series of bi-stable molecules into molecular switch tunnel junctions. We have successfully demonstrated electrical ON/OFF switching based on the chemical bi-stability of these molecules. Important issues in material preparation, device fabrication, and electrical characterization will be discussed. In addition, I will focus on scaling of these devices and crossbar circuits from micro-scale to nano-scale. The latest system contains 22.5Kbits at a density of 1011/cm2 (33 nm full pitch). I will also discuss a scheme in which multi-functional units, e.g. memory, logic, and sensing, can be integrated into a large scale nanowire crossbar array system.

Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 100D, Studio F

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Alma Hernandez